It Took One Hit
by TheCrowMaiden
Summary: After the fighting is over, Rebecca wants to know when Cavendish started having feelings for her in the chaos that was Dressrosa. One-shot Cavenbecca! Inspired by episode 655 and a comment by Saisai-chan. This just had to be written. I guess slightly AU ish because I set this in a place that assumes they all come out of Dressrosa alright.


Rebecca pried open the door that lead onto the wall of the castle, cautiously looking around the area before she walked through it. No guards were posted, and the quiet of the night was a peaceful one. She briefly wondered if she would always judge even something as simple as silence for potential threat. Finding peace after the fighting was harder than she had anticipated.

She began walking, the dampness in the air causing her to shiver. A light breeze kept the clouds away and the stars clear, and by their light and that of the moon she easily found what she was looking for.

Cavendish was sitting on one of the stone benches built into the wall, his hat tipped over his eyes as if he was sleeping. His breathing was slow and regular, but he lacked his over the top snoring that usually signified that he was completely asleep. Rebecca paused where she was, hesitant to disturb his rest, if he actually was. It wasn't often that he slowed down.

"And what brings you out here?" He said when she took a step back, proving that she had been right to be sceptical.

"I _knew_ you were awake." she said, sitting next to him on the bench.

"That didn't answer my question."

"I know."

Rebecca smiled, and poked his shoulder. "It's cold out here, share with me."

With a sigh that she assumed he intended to make him sound like he was hard done by, he stretched his arm out, holding his overcoat open for her. She slid over immediately, putting her arms around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder. For a man wearing a shirt with such a low cut neckline, he was delightfully warm.

"Your greaves are cold," he grumbled as she snuggled closer, rearranging his coat so that they were both covered the best they could be. "Why are you wearing them in the middle of the night anyway?"

"Habit." she replied with a shrug. And it was true. The concept of safety was still too new to her, and to most of her family. It was especially easy to forget they were no longer criminals and fugitives at night, when they weren't surrounded by friends and allies.

Cavendish didn't reply; he just squeezed her arm gently. They sat in companionable silence, watching the sky and the imperceptible movements of the stars. Cavendish had started slowly kneading the knots out of the muscles in her shoulder, and worked his way up to her neck. With a soft circular movement he rubbed his thumb at the base of her skull, in a soothing if somewhat absentminded massage.

After a while, Rebecca lifted her head from his shoulder so she could see his face. He still had the brim of his hat tipped down, but even in the minimal light she could he was smiling.

"So, I wanted to ask you something."

"I thought as much." His smile grew, making him look annoyingly smug. "What did you want to ask?"

She rolled her eyes at his expression, and poked him in the ribs just to make him wince.

"When did you start liking me?"

"It was at the colosseum."

She snorted at his vague and obvious answer, and he laughed. "It's the truth, Rebecca. But it wasn't when you probably think it was."

He leaned back against the wall, stretching his long legs straight out in front oh him. Rebecca shifted with him so she could keep one arm wrapped around him and still see his face. It was a question she had actually wanted to ask for a while, and she had been looking forward to the answer.

"It was actually when the block D battle started. You weren't all that close by, but I couldn't help but notice your unorthodox fighting style. Honestly I was confused as to why you didn't take the opportunities to land critical blows. Obviously I know the reasoning behind that now, but then it was completely unthinkable. I was observing you dodge your first few attackers, and then you were confronted by three men, and you started backing up."

He shook his head over the memory, and gave her an exasperated look. "You were right at the edge of the ring and you seemed to be completely unaware. I was ready to run to your aid, battle royal or not. But that tall gladiator woman stopped me. She told me you could take care of yourself, and you did."

The look he gave her then was one of such fierce pride and affection, that Rebecca blushed. "When you defeated all three of your opponents at once, that's when I fell in love with you."

Out of all the things he could have answered her question with, that one had most certainly not been it. Part of her had secretly dreaded that he would tell her that he had started liking her when she had seemed to need rescuing from the crowd. She would have understood if he had, but it would have stung to know they had started their way to a relationship based on something like that.

But finding out he fell in love with her for her strength was the most wonderful thing she could have expected.

"Thank you." She said, grinning a mile wide, and gave him a great big kiss on the cheek.

If she were to put her hands on his face, Rebecca thought she might burn her palms. She giggled as Cavendish practically pulled his hat down over his ears by the brim, his blush visible even in the starlight. She decided to give him time to regain his composure, and happily put her arms around his waist again and nestled into his side.

But not before she planted one more kiss on his jaw where his hat didn't reach.

* * *

_(Fluuuuuff! Inspired by the latest anime episode where they expanded on Cavendish and Rebecca's fight in D block, and by Saisai's comment that Cavendish's one expression looked like he had fallen in love. This came together really quick, I'm surprised how fast I was able to write it. Thanks for reading!)_


End file.
